Soccer legend Pele has been voted the greatest footballer of all time | sommyincrease.com

Ahead of Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Pelé has been voted the greatest footballer of all-time.

The three-time World Cup winner scored 727 goals during his glittering 21 year career, including 77 for Brazil in 92 appearances.

Widely regarded as football’s first superstar, he is still the youngest player ever to appear in a World Cup final featuring in the culmination of the 1958 tournament aged just 17.

He made his domestic debut at 16 years old for Santos FC and remained there until 1975, when he moved to New York Cosmos amid much fanfare for the final two years of his career.

Elsewhere in the poll, just a handful of votes separated Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo who finished second and third respectively – suggesting the debate of who is better is far from over.

Manchester United legend George Best was the highest ranking Briton in the poll commissioned by the History television channel to mark its History of Football season, which runs from 28 May to 10 June.

The former Northern Ireland international came fourth ahead of Argentine great Diego Maradona.

Dan Korn, vice-president of programming for History said: “History’s special season of football programming aims to ignite an entertaining debate on what were the ultimate historic moments of the sport, who stands as the best player in history, which coaches most shaped the game – and much more.”